Moving to Arkansas from Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Virginia to Arkansas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Virginia to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 18.3% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $57,648 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Virginia and Arkansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $57,648
To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.9% less
Groceries
pay 26.2% less
Transportation
pay 22.2% less
Housing
pay 12.9% less
Childcare
pay 35.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arkansas compared to Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Virginia performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Virginia leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though Arkansas leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Virginia performs better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Virginia performs better than Arkansas across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Richmond | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas than Virginia?
On average Arkansas is about 23% less expensive than Virginia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?
Budget about $14,412 for 3 months in Arkansas (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Arkansas safe?
Virginia performs better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Virginia?
Virginia performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arkansas compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
